I roast cauliflower and toss it with my famous (and famously simple!) Buffalo sauce.

Then I douse it with blue cheese and shaved celery, for a “salad” worthy of an Oscar (Or whatever type of award is appropriate for a salad. Probably not an Oscar, huh?).

It’s an easy and light way to get your Buffalo fix.

However, I've been playing with the whole cauliflower + Buffalo sauce thing for awhile now, and I've recently come up with a new version.

This one has just a few more calories and takes just a little more time, but in the end you are left with something that will really, truly satisfy your craving for wings.

The batter is simple—a combination of flour and milk...

You whisk it up, add some cauliflower, and suddenly start to see the magical way a piece of cauliflower can become a wing.

Once baked, you simply toss these "wings" with Buffalo sauce and, most importantly, prepare yourself to eat them all!

It’s a plate of wings that are baked—not fried! And it's cauliflower—not chicken!

Really, what more could you ask for?!

No need to send a thank you gift, just remember you owe me. ;)

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

servings:Makes 40-50 cauliflower “wings”

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1¼ cups whole milk

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium head cauliflower, broken or cut into bite-size florets

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)

2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoon light brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. Spray the foil generously with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce, 3 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce, the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Toss the cauliflower in the batter, then spread it on the baking sheets. Bake the cauliflower until it is slightly browned in spots—about 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower bakes, in a small pot, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup hot sauce, the butter, vinegar, brown sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Once the cauliflower is browned, remove it from the oven and toss it well in the Buffalo sauce. Turn on the broiler, to high if you have that option. Then return the cauliflower to the baking sheets and cook it under the broiler until it is crispy and browned in spots—2-3 minutes more. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss or brush it with the remaining sauce. Enjoy by serving with blue cheese.

Notes:

Freezing Instructions: To enjoy later, freeze the completed Buffalo Cauliflower Wings in a single layer (not touching) on a baking sheet lined with foil. Once they are frozen, remove the wings from the baking sheet, place them in a food storage bag, and put them back in the freezer until you are ready to eat them. To reheat, begin by preheating the oven to 375°F and lightly spraying a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cook the wings until they are warmed through, 10-15 minutes, depending on their size.

I love taking underrated vegetables, shining them up, and showing people just how much delicious-potential they have!

Onions don’t generally get their own place on your dinner table...

Instead, they usually play the supporting role in dishes.

The tick to getting them to take center stage is infusing them with flavor—in this case, balsamic, Dijon, and rosemary.

Then add some sweetness to the mix, and let them roast up to sticky perfection in the oven.

When you treat them right, they become a show-stopping side dish that will be gone before the main meal!

Okay, Mr. Onion, it’s your time to shine!

Balsamic Roasted Onions

servings:6 to 8

Ingredients:

4 medium Vidalia onions, cut into ½-inch slices (skins left on)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons honey, more for drizzling

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt, more for sprinkling

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Place the onions in a large plastic food storage bag or shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic, olive oil, honey, mustard, rosemary, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Pour this mixture over the onion slices and close the bag or cover the dish. Marinate the onions in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight; be sure to occasionally shake the onions around in the bag or stir them in the dish ensure that the marinade gets into all parts of the onions.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the onion slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, then bake them until the onions are very tender and dark in color—about 55 to 60 minutes, removing them from the oven to lightly baste the tops with more of the vinegar mixture every 15 minutes.

After removing them from the oven, drizzle each of the onions with about ¼ teaspoon of honey and sprinkle each with a pinch of salt.

Check out the recipe for my Buffalo Cabbage Spring Rolls from my book Meat On The Side...

Buffalo Cabbage Spring Rolls

servings:6 Spring Rolls + 1 Cup Dipping Sauce

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:

½ cup blue cheese crumbles (2 ounces)

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk

3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions, (green parts only)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Buffalo Cabbage Spring Rolls:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half (6 ounces)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 ounces cream cheese

⅓ cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

2½ cups lightly packed cabbage slaw mix (from the supermarket)

¾ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped scallions

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon garlic powder

6 flour egg roll wrappers

Canola oil, for frying

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce:

Put the blue cheese crumbles in a small bowl, breaking up the pieces if they are bigger larger than ¼ inch. Add the sour cream, buttermilk, scallions, and salt to the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Buffalo Cabbage Spring Rolls:

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper evenly all over the chicken. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through—, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 2 to 3 minutes; then chop it into ½-inch pieces.

To make the filling, placePut the cream cheese and hot sauce in a large microwave-safe bowl; and microwave on high until the cheese is has slightly softened slightly—, 15 to 20 seconds—. and then wWhisk the mixture them tountil well gethercombined. . It (This mixture does not have to be perfectly smooth; it’s okay to have some lumps.) Add the chicken, slaw mix, celery, scallions, cilantro, garlic powder, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the bowl and stir until well combined.

Arrange the egg roll wrappers on a work surface, orienting each so one corner points toward you (making a diamond shape). Have ready a small bowl of water and a pastry brush. Make the rolls one at a time: Spoon about ½ cup of the filling onto the center and then brush a little water onto the margins. Fold up the bottom corner over the filling; then fold up each side corner. Then roll the filled wrapper over on itself toward the top corner.

Pour oil into a small or medium heavy-bottomed saucepan to a depth of at least 2 inches (but not more than halfway up the sides). Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the oil to 375°F; (use a candy thermometer to register the temperature). Working in small batches, fry the rolls until they are golden brown on all sides—. 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer each batch to a paper- towel– lined plate to drain.

Serve the rolls hot with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce.

Notes:

don’t always have buttermilk on hand, and although it adds a little extra tang to the dipping sauce, it can easily be replaced with any milk or cream you keep have in your fridge.

50/50 - With all the flavor going on in these spring rolls, you will not miss the meat if you prefer a vegetarian appetizer—there are many times I choose to serve them meatless. To make half the recipe meatless, use only 3 ounces chicken, but add an extra ½ cup slaw mix; (don’t add the chicken to the filling until after you’ve made 3 vegetarian rolls. Or to go totally meat-free, and simply replace all the chicken with an extra cup of the slaw mix.

FF - Kids aren’t big fans of blue cheese? Leave it out for a scallion– sour cream dressing. Also to tone down the spicy taste, cut the amount of hot sauce to 3 tablespoons and use 5 ounces of cream cheese instead for a milder version.

Not to mention that you're also whipping up a pineapple avocado salsa—that you should just go ahead and make extra of, because you will want to put it on EVERYTHING.

And last, all of this goodness goes on a piece of jicama that is sturdy yet flexible, and adds another layer of freshness and crunch to the dish.

And because it’s really just a slice of jicama, it takes almost no extra time.

You could use these components separately in lots of dishes this summer, or you could combine them all and make the most outrageous tacos—that are actually crazy healthy for you.

Whatever you do, you are eating good tonight!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos on Jicama Shells + Pineapple Avocado Salsa

servings:4; makes 8 small tacos

Pineapple Avocado Salsa:

1½ cup finely chopped pineapple

1 avocado, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 red pepper, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

Juice of half a lime

2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Shrimp Tacos with Jicama Taco Shells:

½ cup sour cream

Zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon chipotle puree *see note

2 teaspoons kosher salt

One-1½ pound jicama, about 4-5 inches wide

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

16-20 large/extra large shrimp (about ¾ to 1 pound)

Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Cilantro, for a garnish

Pineapple Avocado Salsa:

In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, avocado, red pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Mix together and set aside.

Shrimp Tacos with Jicama Taco Shells:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lime zest, chipotle puree, and 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Mix together and set aside.

Peel the jicama and cut it in half widthwise, creating two circular pieces. Place one of the halves on a mandolin cut-side down and set the mandolin for about 1/12 inch-thick slices (You should set the dial between ⅛ and 1/16, but closer to the 1/16 mark.). Your slices should be thin enough to bend without breaking, but thick enough to hold the filling. Also, if the jicama is too big for your mandoline, trim one of the sides until it fits. After slicing the jicama, you should have about 20 “taco shells” (the extras can be saved for up to a week in the fridge). Discard the ends or use for another purpose.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook the spices for 1 minute, then add the shrimp and cook it until it is pink and cooked through—about 2-3 minutes. Note: You can cut the shrimp in half prior to cooking if you prefer; the smaller the shrimp, the better they fit into the jicama taco shell, which also makes the taco a little easier to eat.

Place the jicama shells on plates and sprinkle each with a touch of salt. Next top with the sour cream mixture, then the shrimp, and finally the Pineapple Avocado Salsa. Garnish with extra cilantro if desired.

Notes:

You’ll find chipotles in adobo in a small can next to your taco fixings in the supermarket. A whole chipotle pepper is generally too spicy for a recipe, so I take the whole can and puree it in the food processor or blender. Then you can measure out what you need. Store the remaining puree by placing in the bottom of a Ziploc bag and allowing it to freeze like that so you get a log shape. Then just slices off as much of the frozen puree as you need in the future.

Chicken nuggets are simple and simply tasty, and with so many options out there—from the grocery store to McDonalds—you may ask yourself, why make them myself?

Well, I'll tell you why!

These nuggets are worth making because they're unlike anything you can buy.

They're actually half lentils and carrots, and yet they taste like the good-old fashioned chicken nuggets you (and your kids!) are used to!

The lentils get slightly pureed, which allows them to pretty much melt into the meat.

As for the carrots, you will see some small specks of them in the mix—so if your kids are super weary, you can always skip them.

Or if you’re feeling crazy, you could use parsnips instead!

Like many of my toddler recipes, these are the kinds of things that I make huge batches of and freeze.

And a freezer full of chicken nuggets is a happy freezer indeed!!

Lentil + Carrot Chicken Nuggets

servings:36 nuggets

Ingredients:

1¾ cups chicken stock

1 cup dry split red lentils

2 cups grated carrots (about 6 ounces)

1 pound ground chicken

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Place the chicken stock and lentils in a small saucepan. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook the lentils until the broth is fully absorbed and the lentils are very soft—about 15 minutes.

Add the carrots to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are crumb-like in texture—ground, but not pureed. Then transfer the cooked lentils to the food processor with the carrots and pulse to combine the ingredients.

Next add the chicken, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to the food processor and pulse again until all ingredients are just combined; avoid overmixing.

Scoop the mixture by heaping tablespoons and shape it by hand into nuggets (the easiest way to do this is to form the mixture into a ball, then smash it flat and add dents and curves by hand). Then coat each nugget well in the breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 10 to 12 nuggets and cook them until all sides of the nuggets are golden brown—4 to 6 minutes per side. Repeat this process until all of the nuggets have been cooked.

Notes:

If you prefer to bake the nuggets rather than frying them, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the prepared nuggets on a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Spray the nuggets with olive oil cooking spray and bake them until they are light golden and cooked through—about 15 to 20 minutes. Note that the nuggets will be paler in color—not as brown—than if you were to cook them as in Step 5.

Fennel + Apple Slaw:

Mix the fennel, apples, jalapeño, lemon juice, orange juice, and salt in a large bowl, stirring until well combined. Set aside on the countertop to let the fennel and apples soften while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.

Basil + Lemon Aioli :

Add the egg yolk, mustard, and garlic to a blender and blend on high for 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend again for 10 seconds. With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in the oil, starting with a few drops at a time. After you have added 2 to 4 tablespoons of oil and the aioli has emulsified and you see no separation, you can add the remaining oil in a faster stream as the blender continues to run. Scrape the thickened aioli into a small bowl and stir in the basil. Set aside.

Celeriac + Lobster Rolls:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the celeriac, sprinkle with the salt, and stir again. Cook until the celeriac is tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a second large skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Add the rolls and cook until browned on the sides, 2 to 4 minutes.

As soon as the celeriac is cooked, reduce the heat to low and stir the lobster into the skillet. Cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the aioli and stir until well combined.

Spoon the lobster mixture into the rolls, dividing it equally. Top each roll with one-quarter of the slaw.

Notes:

If you’re not in the mood to make your own aioli, skip it and use ¾ cup mayonnaise instead, adding the basil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little grated garlic.

Fennel has a nice licorice flavor, but can be replaced with a small red onion or cabbage in a pinch. If you have some tarragon on hand add it when using these substitutes.

Go ahead, make the slaw in advance. You’ll get a jump on the prep and the longer it sits, the better it gets.

For simpler slaw use, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes instead of the hot pepper, and just lemon juice instead of both juices.

Make this a meal a bit more accessible by substituting shrimp for the lobster. Or for a different take on things, chopped chicken breast makes for one heck of a tasty sandwich, too!

I love this recipe because it makes boxed mac and cheese into a complete meal.

A complete meal complete with the mouth-watering flavor combination of sausage, peppers, and cheese.

You sauté up the peppers and sausage while the pasta cooks up, so there's minimal extra time involved in hacking this mac!

Then it all gets mixed together into one cheesy, porky mess.

Vegetables, protein, cheese, and carbs—not bad for something that (mostly) came out of a box!

Sausage + Pepper Boxed Mac + Cheese

servings:4

Ingredients:

4 cups beef stock

One 14-ounce box macaroni + cheese with liquid sauce packet

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 link sweet Italian sausage (about 4 ounces), coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Add the stock to a large pot over high heat for cooking the macaroni. When the water boils, add the macaroni and cook until al dente—8 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain when finished, but do not rinse, then return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper, sausage, paprika, and salt and cook until the sausage is browned all over and cooked through—about 5 minutes, stirring to break it up.

Return the pot with the cooked pasta to a burner set at medium heat. Add the cooked peppers and sausage along with the cheese sauce packet, then stir to combine.

Forget the Blooming Onion (though it is undeniably delicious), because this summer the Blooming Tomato is taking over!

I’m always looking to do something new with veggies—to transform them into something special.

And sometimes just cutting a veggie in a different way can accomplish that goal...

This tomato becomes the centerpiece of a salad, and suddenly the salad is an experience—not just some veggies tossed together on a plate.

The trick is to cut it into wedges while leaving the bottom center intact.

Then top it as you like!

I’m going with Caesar dressing, lettuce, bacon, croutons—and to make it really special, some crab.

And just imagine this with some summer heirloom tomatoes!

Oh man, get ready for a lot of Blooming Tomatoes on my Instagram!

Blooming Tomato

servings:1; makes 1 salad

Ingredients:

1 bacon strip

1 large tomato

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Caesar dressing

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

¼ cup croutons, cut into small pieces

Crab meat (optional)

Directions:

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp—6 to 7 minutes, turning once. Then transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.

While the bacon cooks, remove the tomato’s stem and place it stem-side-up on a cutting board. Then cut the tomato into 8 wedges making all of your cuts on the stem side and leaving the bottom intact (first cut the tomato in half one way without cutting all the way through, then cut it in half the other way without cutting all the way through, and finally cut each quarter in half without cutting all the way through—for 8 even wedges).

Next, sprinkle the cut tomato with the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the tomato, fill it with the shredded lettuce, and top it with the croutons and crab meat (if desired). Finally, when the bacon has finished cooking, remove it from the pan, crumble it over the blooming tomato, and serve.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the spinach to a blender or food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped and almost pureed.

Add the oats, bananas, carrots, maple syrup, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to the spinach, then pulse until all ingredients are well-combined and the mixture is almost pureed, but not quite smooth. You may have to stop and stir the mixture a bit to make sure it doesn’t contain any large chunks.

Scoop the batter evenly into 36 cups of a mini muffin tin prepared with cooking spray, then top each muffin with a light sprinkle of the reserved oats.

Bake the muffins until a knife inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean and dry —24 to 28 minutes.

I. LOVE. BREAD.

And if you have a fresh loaf of bread, according to me (or you!), of course it’s good all on it’s own.

But let me tell you how it gets even better...

It's so simple to char the bread in a grill pan with a little olive oil—on high heat.

It will get mouth-wateringly crusty on the outside, while still remaining soft and chewy on the inside.

And when it’s crisp and browned, take it off of the grill pan and rub it with cut garlic and tomato.

This infuses those flavors ever-so-delicately—and just so incredibly perfectly!—into the bread.

Sprinkle this amazing bread with salt and another drizzle of olive oil, and you have definitely transported that fresh loaf of bread to a whole new level.

Charred Tomato Garlic Bread

servings:4 to 6

Ingredients:

One 8 X 5-inch loaf ciabatta bread (or other crusty bread)

2 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 garlic clove, halved

1 medium tomato, halved

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cut the loaf of bread in half length-wise and drizzle all sides of it with the olive oil. Place the bread crust side-down on the pan, and cook until grill marks appear and the bread is crusty—2 to 3 minutes. Flip the bread over, then press it down to ensure good contact with the pan; continue to cook until grill marks appear and the bread is charred in spots—2 to 3 minutes more.

Remove the bread from the heat and and rub the cut side with the cut side of the garlic, going over the bread a few times. Then rub the bread with the cut side of the tomato, squeezing the juice out of the tomato and onto the bread as you do so.

Sprinkle the cut side of the bread with the salt and a little extra olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy!

Directions:

Begin by hardboiling the eggs; in a small saucepan, arrange them in a single layer and add cold water until it reaches an inch above them. Set the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to boiling. Then cover, remove from the heat, and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and set this aside to cool; peel when ready to use.

Add ½ inch of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a large saucepan and bring this to boiling over medium-high heat. Next, add the cauliflower, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy—3 to 5 minutes. Drain and run the cauliflower under cold water, finely chop it, and then pat it dry (this should give you about 1½ cups of cooked, finely chopped cauliflower).

Peel the eggs and finely chop them. Place the cauliflower, eggs, mayonnaise, celery, scallions, mustard, paprika, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. Gently toss this mixture until it is well combined.

Place a slice of bread on each of 2 plates. Mound the salad on top, dividing equally. Then divide the lettuce and tomato between both sandwiches, and top each with a piece of bread. Cut each sandwich in half and enjoy!

Notes:

Sometimes you can find cauliflower florets in a container in your produce section. If you buy the cauliflower this way, you will need about 6 ounces or 7 to 8 medium/large florets.

On The Wendy Williams Show I showed everyone how to make a dish that will be your go-to this spring and summer, BLT Pasta Salad with Romaine Lettuce Dressing.

Yes, the dressing is actually made with lettuce!

Combined with the classic flavors of a BLT sandwich (minus the bread), it's the perfect dish to ring in Spring!

BLT Pasta Salad with Romaine Lettuce Dressing

servings:4 to 6 servings, with about 2 cups Romaine Lettuce Dressing

Romaine Lettuce Dressing:

2 romaine hearts, halved

5 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

BLT Pasta Salad:

1 pound short-cut pasta

4 strips extra thick-cut bacon

2 cups Romaine Lettuce Dressing

2 cups lightly packed baby spinach or chopped romaine

2 cups halved grape tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Romaine Lettuce Dressing:

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Then brush the 4 lettuce halves on the cut side with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Grill the lettuce cut-side-down until it is slightly charred and wilted—about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lettuce from the grill pan, coarsely chop it and discard the stems.

Combine the lettuce, remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. If all of the lettuce does not fit at one time, puree a portion of it, adding more as you do, until it is all in the food processor. Once it has all been pureed, set it aside for later.

BLT Pasta Salad:

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. Then drain it, rinse it under cold water, and set it aside.

While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is crispy—about 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels. Once it is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop it; this should give you about 1½ cups of bacon pieces. Set the bacon aside for later.

Toss the pasta with the Romaine Lettuce Dressing, spinach or romaine, grape tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, onion, salt, and pepper. Top it with the bacon and serve!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the corn chips to the food processor and pulse until the chip pieces are close to the size of panko breadcrumbs (this should make about 1 cup). If you don’t have a food processor you can also place the chips in a Ziploc bag and smash them with a pan or rolling pin. Then transfer the corn chip pieces to a medium-sized bowl along with the panko and paprika and mix these ingredients well.

Clean the bowl of the food processor, then place the broccoli inside and pulse until it is coarse and grain-like in texture (you should have about 4 cups of this broccoli “rice”).

Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl with the parmesan, flour, eggs, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and mix together to combine.

Using your hands, roll the broccoli mixture and pack it tightly by the tablespoon into tater tot (or other desired) shapes approximately 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Roll each tot in the corn chip breading mixture, reshaping afterwards if necessary.

Place the formed broccoli tots on a nonstick baking pan or a pan lined with parchment paper. Spray the tots lightly with nonstick olive oil spray and bake them until browned—about 20 minutes.

Notes:

Freezer Instructions: Place cooked and cooled tots on a baking sheet or plate in a single layer. Let freeze completely; once frozen place them in a plastic food storage bag. To reheat, place in a 425°F oven on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes

Remember that time on The Wendy Williams Show when I showed everyone how to make a fabulous Fully-Loaded Broccoli Crust Pizza?!

Well, I still can't decide which is my favorite part—the super flavorful crust, the melty cheese (always in the running!), the crispy bacon, or the warm and savory potatoes!

I think you owe it to yourself to cook up this amazing pizza and help me be the judge!

Fully-Loaded Broccoli Crust Pizza

servings:3; makes one 10- to 11-inch pizza

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ + ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 slices bacon, coarsely chopped

3 medium red potatoes cut into about twenty-five ⅛- to ¼-inch slices

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons sour cream, for a garnish

3 tablespoons chopped scallions, for a garnish

Hot sauce, for a garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove most of the tough, thick stems of the broccoli. Working in batches, place the remaining broccoli in the bowl of a food processor and pulse it until it is finely ground. You may need to stir as you go to make sure the bigger pieces don’t sit on the top. After grinding the broccoli, you should have about 5 cups.

Place the broccoli on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high heat for 6 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once it is cool enough to handle, put the broccoli in a kitchen cloth or a piece of cheesecloth; roll up the cloth and twist and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. When you are done, you should have about 2 cups of dry, packed broccoli.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli with 1 cup of the cheese, the eggs, chili powder, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Transfer this mixture to the baking sheet and shape it into a 10- to 11-inch diameter round, about ½-inch thick.

Bake the crust until it is firm and brown around the edges—about 20 to 25 minutes. While the crust bakes, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook it until it is crisp—6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel (leaving the bacon fat in the pan) and turn the heat up to medium high. Add the potatoes to the pan along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until brown all over and tender—about 7 to 10 minutes

Remove the crust from the oven and top it with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Return the pizza to the oven and bake it until the cheese is melted—about 5 minutes. Top the cheese with the potatoes and bacon and cook until the potatoes and bacon are warmed through —about 2 to 3 minutes

Remove the pizza from the oven and top it with dollops of the sour cream, the scallions, and a dash of hot sauce. Cut and serve it immediately.

I’m about to tell you that you can take a banana and an egg and make some of the best crêpes (or pancakes!) ever!

But seriously, it’s just a banana and an egg—THAT’S IT.

Okay, yes, there is some salt and vanilla, but those don’t technically count.

You blend them, you pour the batter out, and voila!

You end up with light, moist crêpes that can be eaten any way you like.

I like mine with Nutella and strawberries, because, well, that tastes amazing.

But in your kitchen, the crêpe-topping rules are up to you!

So try them!

There is literally no chance you will be disappointed.

And in the highly improbable case that you are, send those leftovers my way!

Banana Crêpes

servings:six 5-inch crêpes

Ingredients:

3 large ripe bananas

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup Nutella Hazelnut Spread, plus more for a garnish

6 strawberries, thinly sliced

Powdered sugar, for a garnish

Directions:

To the bowl of a blender, add the bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend these ingredients until they are smooth, then set them aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the butter in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Then make the crêpes one at a time by adding about ⅓ cup of the banana batter to the skillet, cooking each until its bottom is a deep golden brown—about 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip the crêpe over and cook it until the other side is also a deep golden brown—1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat this process with the remaining batter, wiping out the skillet and adding 1 teaspoon of butter between each crêpe.

To serve, spread about 1 tablespoon of the Nutella over each crêpe. Then place a line of sliced strawberries slightly off center in each crêpe and roll them up, starting from the side closest to the strawberries. Drizzle the finished crêpes with more Nutella, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Since I’ve solved the problem of missing my football snacks, it’s time to settle back onto the couch. The only question now is, what to watch?!

Cabbage Nachos with Tomatillo Salsa

makes:1 large plate of nachos

Ingredients:

¾ pound tomatillos (5 to 7), husks removed

1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chile

Half a yellow onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons kosher salt

½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

5 cups lightly packed shredded green cabbage (about half a head)

30 large tortilla chips

2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese (8 ounces)

¼ cup pickled sliced jalapeno chiles

Directions:

Turn on the broiler, to high if you have that option. Place the tomatillos, fresh jalapeno, and onions on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and then stir to coat the vegetables. Broil until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred—7 to 10 minutes. (You may have to remove the tomatillos and jalapenos and let the onions cook for an extra minute or so.) Leave the broiler on while you do the next steps.

To make the salsa, transfer the charred vegetables to a food processor or blender; add 2 teaspoons of the salt and the cilantro. Process until almost smooth.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the cabbage is tender but not mushy—about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in about half the salsa until combined. You want the cabbage to be coated, but not dripping wet, so then stir in as much of the rest of the salsa as you need to get to that point.

Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer on a large oven-safe serving dish. Spread the cabbage mixture over the chips and then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Broil the nachos until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Scatter the pickled jalapenos over the top and serve right away.

Keep It Simple:

Tomatillos look like green tomatoes with papery skins around them, and taste like a tart apple. If you’re having trouble finding them at your store, you can use tomatoes instead—the taste will be different but similarly delicious.

To make this dish in less than 10 minutes, try these shortcuts: simply buy a jar of your favorite red or green salsa instead of making the tomatillo salsa. And save major time by purchasing shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix as well as shredded cheese at your market; no need to do it yourself!

Make It Meaty:

These nachos are currently meatless, but you can add your favorite nacho topping, including ground beef, over the whole plate—or just over half for a 50/50 appetizer.

Family Friendly:

Your family will never know there is a pound of cabbage sitting in these nachos. The sautéed cabbage has a really mild flavor and its job is to help the tomatillo salsa stay on the nachos to give you a flavorful hit with every bite.

I like my food to be amazing, and there are a couple of amazing things happening in this recipe…

First, we are making pizza in a skillet, which is a foolproof way to create a crisp crust with a chewy and moist inside.

Second, we are taking Brussels sprouts to a whole new level, separating the leaves and allowing them to get the perfect amount of “charredness” (totally a word).

And last we are adding tomatillos—after peeling away their papery outer skin, we are left with what looks like green tomatoes but tastes like “apple-ish, grape-ish amazingness” (yes, totally words).

I’m introducing Italy to Mexico and creating a tart, refreshing finish on an amazing pie…along with some really great words. ;)

Brussels Sprouts + Tomatillos Skillet Pizza

makes:One 12-inch pizza

Ingredients:

¾ pound Brussels sprouts

2 teaspoons olive oil

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature

1½ cups shredded Gruyère cheese (6 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium-large tomatillos

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Half a lime

Directions:

Cut off the bottom stem of each Brussels sprout and then gently tear or cut the leaves away from the core; discard the very center. Place the leaves in a medium bowl (you should have about 3 cups loosely packed leaves). Stir in 1 teaspoon of the oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Brush a 12-inch cast iron skillet with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and stretch or roll it to a 10-inch-diameter round. Fit the dough into the skillet, pushing it out to the edges. Scatter the cheese evenly over the dough and then sprinkle with the garlic. Spread the Brussels sprouts over the top.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the underside of the dough is very lightly golden brown—about 5 minutes. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the leaves are charred and the dough is cooked through—for 10 to 12 minutes more.

Meanwhile, remove and discard the husks from the tomatillos. Wash and dry the fruit and then coarsely chop it. Place the tomatillos in a small bowl; add the cilantro. Juice the lime into the bowl and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Scatter over the hot pizza and serve.

Keep It Simple:

I never quite mastered making my own pizza dough, so I prefer to leave it to the professionals. Just pop into your favorite pizzeria and ask them if you can buy some dough: They are happy to sell it to you and you are happy to have fantastic dough you didn’t have to make.

To make this pizza you can use 12 ounces of dough, 15 ounces, whatever you can get your hands on, just don’t use more than 1 pound as the pie will get too thick.

Though I’m a big fan of tomatillos they are not always easy to find, so to replace them try diced pears, apples, or tomatoes.

Gruyère can be replaced with a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan or just mozzarella.

Make It Meaty:

Crisp and chopped bacon or pancetta are great toppings that can be sprinkled on with the tomatillos. Or for something a little more substantial, 4 to 6 ounces of cooked, chopped chicken is a great addition.

OK, I assume you’re looking for me to describe it as more than “tasty.”

Naan is an Indian bread that, like a pita, has a large hollow in the center, created by the moisture in its dough turning to steam and forming an air pocket when it bakes.

But unlike pita, naan is chewy and delicate in flavor and texture, and once again…very tasty!

Besides stuffing it like I do here, you can use naan as the base for a flatbread or pizza or cut it up for dipping into any kind of hummus or cheese dip.

However you prepare it, it's sure to be (you guessed it)…

TASTY!

Roasted Broccoli, Corn + Green Chile Stuffed Naan

servings:2; double the recipe as you wish

Ingredients:

1 cup very finely chopped broccoli

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons olive oil

⅓ cup corn kernels

1½ cups shredded pepper Jack cheese

Half a 4-ounce can chopped green chiles

1 naan

½ teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

Turn on the broiler, to high if you have that option. Toss the broccoli with ½ teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium bowl until well coated. Then spread it on a rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler until charred and tender—3 to 5 minutes.

Return the broccoli to the medium bowl. Add the corn to the broccoli, along with the cheese, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the chiles. Stir to combine.

Very gently open the naan by running a knife along one edge, between the layers. Naan usually has one layer that is thicker than the other, so try not to rip the thin layer. If some breaking occurs, that’s okay—the filling should stay in and the cheese will act as a glue, sealing up the bread as it cooks.

Gently spoon the broccoli mixture into the naan. You want to push it to the edges but if you are having trouble getting the filling into a particular spot don’t worry, it will melt into those areas, it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Briefly heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the turmeric, making sure it spreads evenly through the oil. Lay the naan in the skillet and cook until crisp and golden brown on the bottom—3 minutes. Gently turn it over and cook the other side until it is golden brown and the cheese inside has melted—for 3 minutes more. Cut the naan into sixths or quarters and serve immediately.

Keep It Simple:

Though most stores are carrying naan bread these days, there are lots of substitutes that you can use for this recipe if it’s hard to find: Pita works very nicely, you can use two tortillas and make it like a quesadilla, or use the filling in between two slices of regular loaf bread, creating an outrageous grilled cheese.

Turmeric has a warm, peppery flavor and adds a great bright yellow color to the dish, but it can successfully be replaced with paprika or garlic powder or simply left out.

Green chiles come in a small can and can usually be found next to the refried beans, taco sauce and tortillas in your grocery store.

Instead of buying frozen corn or corn in a can use the kernels from one ear of fresh corn. Simply place the husked ear in boiling water for 5 minutes or better yet, put it on your grill till slightly charred. Use a sharp knife to cut down the side of the ear to remove the kernels.

Make It Meaty:

Add 2 ounces of very finely chopped cooked chicken to the filling mixture. Or to add an extra protein kick without the meat, add ¼ cup very finely chopped edamame.

Family Friendly:

Nothing like hiding broccoli in cheese and between some bread to get your kids to gobble it up. But if the spice from the pepper Jack cheese is too much for them, replace it with mozzarella or cheddar.